Film splicing apparatus



Otto Patented Aug. 9, 1938 UNITED STATES 2,126,298 FILM SPLICING APPARATUS Wittel, Rochester, Y., assignor, by mesne 'PATE NT OFFICE assignments, to Eastman Kodak Company, Jersey City, N. 1., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 4, 1936, Serial No. 67,086

1 12 Claims.

This invention relates to photography and particularly to film splicing apparatus. One object of my invention is to provide a. film splicer in l confining spring member is provided with arms which project into the liquid receptacles on the base of the splicer to act as spring clips for frictionally 'holding the bottles of receptacles. And still another object is to provide a movable mount for afllm table by which the table may be swung to a stationary table with the film in theproper position. Another object is to provide a spi'ing tension tor the movable table so that said table acts as a pressing means for the spliced joint when it is swung toward the stationary table. Another object is to provide a simple, cheap and eflicient means for hinging the platenon a filmholding table so that they will be -spring pressed into their film engaging positions. Another object is to provide a simple and eflicient spring catch for frictionally engaging said platens and holding them in film engaging positions. And another object in my invention is to provide a scraping tool which -is slidably mounted between a pair of knives so that it will not hinder the trimming action of said knives regardless of its position thereon; but which, has suflicient weight to carry it out of scraping position when the knives are raised in their inoperative position.

The novel features that I consider characteristic of my invention are set forth with'particularity in'the appended claims. The invention,

itself, however, both as to its organization and its methods of 0Deration,'together with additionai objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description and specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the splieer constructed in accordance with and ,embedyin'g a preferred form oi my invention;

- Figure 1 with the kuitein cutting position;

a so Figure 7 is aenlarged partial section ure 3; I

taken on liquid in said cutting, scraping and splicing operations.

, Figure 2 tea front elevation of the splicer oi line 1-1 or Figure 3 engaging clips, and

Figure 8-ls an enlarged partial and showing the platen section of the splicer particularly showing the means for fric-y tionally holding the liquid containers in the receptacles on the base 01 the splicer.

Like reference characters refer to corresponding parts in the several figures. l

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, wherein a preierred embodiment of my invention is illustrated,

, thespllcing apparatus consists of a base lfi'supporting a stationary table II, and a movable table l2, saidcmovable table carried by'a plurality of parallel links I3, these links being supported on the baseby being pivoted at It and being attached to the table l2 by pivots l5; This 'movable table may, therefore, swing from the' cutting andscraping positions shown in Figures 1 and 2 to a splicing position wherein it overlaps said stationary table II by a given amount, the path of said table taken in swinging between its cutting and splicing positions being indicated by broken lines in Figure 6.

Each oi said film tables is provided with a pair of definitely spaced locating pins 16 which are adapted to engage the perforations of a film strip and properly locate said film strip for the film. is held on said tables by means of a pair of hinged spring pressed platens IT. For hingedly connecting the platens to said tables in a simple and eflicient manner, the rearward edges of said tables aresuitably stamped out to form a plurality oi upturned cats is and recesses i9. The rearward side of the platen is provided with a pair or L-shaped fingers 20 which are perforated to slip over the upturned ears l8 and allow ,said platen a 90 degree rotation with respect thereto. To provide a spring pressing means for the platen, a bent leaf spring member 2| is pinned at 22 to an L-shaped lug '23, bent up from the film holding table, so that its opposite The,

ends are normally resting on a portion of the L-shaped fingers 20 of the platen, and thereby normallyforce said platen to its film holding position. The platen is suitablycut accurately, as shown at 24, to allow said platen to be rotated to a vertical position without interfering with the leaf spring member 2! mounted at the hinge thereof. p

The iilrn platens I! are frictionally held in itheir fllm engaging positions on the tables by the engagement of an aperture 25 in said platens and a spring catch 26. Referring to Figure 7, the spring catch designated broadly by 26, consists of a spring 2'1, which is wound around a pin 28 llxed to vertical portion 29 of the film table II or l2. Opposite ends of the-spring 21 are suitably formed to provide nose portions 30 which project up through-splat ii in the dim tables ii or so p plied to the platen by the operator.

After placing the film to be spliced on the table II and I2, the ends may be cut by means of a.

knife 36 comprising two individual shearing members 31 which are individually rotatably hinged to the base II) by having studs 38 fixed thereto rotating in bearings 39 fixed to the base III. The forward ends of the shearing members 31 are connected by a cross member 40 which serves as a handle for bringing the knife into its cutting position as shown in Figure 2, so thatthe shearing .members 31 cut the film across the fixed shear blocks 4| and 4|.

As shown in Figure 5, the film scraper consists of a comparatively heavy slide member 42 provided with grooves 43 which extend lengthwise of the member, said grooves being adapted to fit the shearing members 31 of the knife 36 and give the slide member 42 a sliding engagement therewith after it is slid thereonto from the rear. or open end of said shearing members 31. Two stop members 44, see Fig. l, are provided on the base 10 in the path of, the knife 36 to engage the separate shearing members 31 thereof for the purpose of limiting its movement so that when the knife is in the cutting position, shown in Figure 2, the top edges of the shearing members 31 will be flush with the upper surfac of the shear blocks 4| and 4|;

A serrated tool 45 is adjustably mounted on the side of the slide member 42 to slide therewith to act as a film scraper when said slide member 42 is reciprocated on the shearing members 31 in the position shown in Figure 2. The mounting of the serrated tool 45 on the side of the slide member 42 is suitably made to provide for aslight amount of adjustment of said tool relative to said slide member so that it can be adjusted to just remove the emulsion coating of i the film when it is reciprocated on the shearing members 31, in the position shown in Figure 2,

but not scrape away or injure the film base. Therefore, when the tool 45 is properly positioned on the slide it will not contact the upper surface of the shear block 4| or the shearing member 31, but will remove a given width of emulsion from the film positioned on said stationary table II.

,After the film has been cut, scraped, and cemented, and the knife has been raised from between'the film tables, the movable table I2 is swung into overlapping position with the stationary table II in the customary manner, as indicated in Figure 6, and the two prepared film ends are properly overlapped f'or splicing. .As appears in Figs. 1 and 6, the movable table I2 is provided with spaced cut-out portions I00 and |0| into which the stationary shear block 4| associated with said table I2 is adapted to extend when the movable table is in either of its two positions. When the table I2 is in its cutting position, see Fig. 1, the shear block 4| extends through the cut-out portion 100 in said table a sufilcient distance to be fiush with the top of the table and form a support on which one end of the film strip is held by the platen l1. The other opening H, see Fig. .6, is equal in width to' the shear block 4| and is situated intermediate the ends of the table I2 so as to receive the shear block 4| when the table is moved to its splicing position. The cooperation between the cut-out IM and the shear block 4| permits thetable I2 to assume the same plane as the table when moved to its splicing position, in which position the platen H on the movable tabIe overlaps the shear block 4| associated with' the stationary table to effect a proper overlapping and splicing of the film strip. As shown most clearly in Figure 6, a toggle spring has one end fastened to a pin 5| which is fixed to the base l0, while the other end is fastened to a depression 52 in the movable film table l2. The pin 5| is so located with respect to the two optional positions of the movable table l2 that the point of fastening of said spring on the table .will not be directly above the pin 5| when the links |3 of said table are in the vertical position, in which case there would be a tendency to hold the movable table |2 in a half-way position, but will always provide a resilient force to throw the table into either its cutting or splicing position relative to the stationarytable II. This toggle spring 50, therefore, serves to resiliently force the movable table |2 into eitherits proper cutting or splicing position and. hold the same therein until altered by the operator, and in the splicing or overlapping position of the table this spring 53 provides a resilient means for pressing the spliced joint until it is sufliciently dry to be removed from the splicing table.

Referring now to Figure 4, a spring member 55 is fixed to the base ||l by means of screws 56 and is provided with a flexible finger 51 which is adapted to enter the open end of the shearing members 31 to prevent the slide member 42 from accidentally sliding off of said shearing members. If it is found desirable to remove the serrated tool 45 for any purpose, such as cleaning, etc., the flexible spring finger 51 can be pressed to the position shown in dotted lines wherein the open end of the shearing members 31 is left unobstructed and the slide member 42 and along with it tool 45 can be slid off and on said shearing members 31 with ease.

Integral with the spring member 55 are a pair of spring arms 58 which are adapted to.extend into a pair 'of receptacles 59 which are provided on the base for receiving bottles 60 of liquid required in splicing a film. These receptacles are shown as being cast on the base l0, but it is to receptacles 59 is removed, and the ends 62 of the spring arm 58, which are bent in the form of a U to provide suitable spring portions, extend into the receptacles 59 a sufilcient distance to frictionally engage the containers 60 when they are slid thereinto to hold said containers against accidental removal therefrom.

Although I have shown' and described certain specific embodiments of my invention, I am fully aware that many modifications of the same are possible. limited except in so far as is necessitated by the prior art and the spirit of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I declare is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I I 1. In a film splicing block the combination with, a base, a pair of film holding tables mounted- Therefore, myinvention is not to be knife pivoted on said base and adapted to move between said tables to sever a film thereon, a film scraper slidably mounted on the bladesof said knife, and suitable means fixed tosaid base and projecting into the path of said film scraper to' prevent its removal from said knife. 2. In a film splicing block, the combination with,

a base, a pair of film holding tables mounted thereon for receiving film, of a knife pivoted on said base and adapted to move between said tables to sever a film thereon, a film scraper slidably mounted on said knife vto remove a given width of emulsion from said film, and suitable means mounted on said base and projecting. into'the path of said film scraper to limit its travel in one direction.

3. In a film splicing block, the combination with a base, a pair of film holding tables mounted thereon for receiving film, of a knife supported by the base and comprising a pair of parallel shearing members adapted to sever the film on the two tables simultaneously, a scraper slidably mounted on said shearing members, and a retractable member mounted on said base and adapted to normally project into the path of said scraper for limiting its sliding movement in one direction. i

4. In a film splicing block, the combination with a base, a pair of film holding tables mounted thereon, movable mounts for one film table, of a double-bladed knifepivoted on said base and adapted to move between said tables to sever the film thereon, a film .scraper slidably mounted on said knife, and a retractable member mounted on said base in the path of said-scraper to prevent its accidental removal from said knife. x

5'. In a film splicing block, the combination with a base, a'pair of film holding tables mounted thereon for receiving film, a movable mount for one table, a knife pivoted to said base to move between said film tables to sever the film thereon,-

said tables to sever the film, said knife comprising a pair of parallel shearing members individually pivoted tc-said base and closed at their free ends by a cross-bar, a filmscraper slidably mountedon said knife, of a spring member fixed to said base and normallyextending into the path of said slide member to limit the travel thereof in one direction, said spring member adapted to be depressed to allow said scraper to be removed from said knife for-cleaningv purposes. 4 7. In a film splicing block, the combination with a-base,-a pair of tables mounted thereon for receiving film, a knife adapted to move between said tables to sever the film, said knife comprising a pair of parallel shearing members individually pivoted to said base and closed at their free endsby a bar member, a film scraper slidably mounted on said knife, of a suitable means associated with the. pivoted end of said knife adapted to optionally confine said scraper to sliding engagement onv said knife or release it purposes.

therefrom for cleanin 8. Ina filmsplicing block, the combination with a base member, a pair of-film tables mounted thereon for receiving film, of a knife adapted to move between said tablesto sever the film, said knife comprising a pair of parallel shearing members individually pivoted to said base, of a bar member across the free ends of said shearing members to act as a handle, and a film scraper slidably mounted on said shearing members for reciprocal motion transversely of said filmtable.

9. In a film splicing block, the combination with a base member, a pair of film tables mounted thereon-for receiving film, of a knife adapted to move between said tables to sever the film, said knife comprising a pair of parallelshearing mem bers individually pivoted to said base, of a slide member slidably mounted on said shearing members; and a serrated tool adjustably mounted on said slide member and'adapted to scrape a given width of emulsion from said film as said slide member is reclprocated on said shearing members.

10. In a film splicing block, the combination with a base member, a pair of film tables mounted thereon for receiving film, of a knife adapted to move between said tables to sever the fihn,

said knife comprising a pair of parallel shearing members individually pivoted to said base, a bar member across the free ends of said shearing members to act as a handle, of a slide member slidably mounted on said shearing members, a serrated tool adjustably mountedon said slide member and adapted to scrape a given width of emulsion from said fihn as said slide member is reciprocated on saidshearingmembers, and a spring member fixed to said base and adapted to extend into the'path of said slide member to ,prevent its accidental removal from said shearing members.

11. In a. film splicing apparatus; the combine.-

tion with a base, a pair of film holding tables mounted thereon for receiving a film, one table being fixedly mounted on the base, and the other table being movable, a plurality-of links pivoted to the base and to the movable table, whereby the movable table may swing to or from a film splicing position relative to the stationary table,

a platen hingedly mounted on the movable table for holding a film thereon, the platen on said -movable table overlapping the stationary table in film splicing position, and resilient'means fixed to said base and said movable table for, alternately forcing said movable table into one of its two positions relative to said stationary table, and for causing the platen on, the movable table to press the film splice in said film splicing position. 1 l

-12. In a film splicing apparatus, the combination with a base, a pair of film holding tables mounted thereon for receiving a film, one table being fixedly mounted on the base, and the other. *table being movable, a plurality of links pivoted to the base' and to the movable table,"whereby the movable table may swing to or from a film splicing position'relative to the; stationary table,

a platen hingedly mounted on the movable table movable w table overlapping tb'egistationary table in film splicing position; and a toggle spring fixed to said base and said movable table for alternately forcing said movable tableinto one of its two positions relative to said stationary table, and for causing the platen on themovable table to press the film splice in said film splicing position.

, as for holding a film thereon, the platen on said 

